Was my phone hacked? Well if it wasn't...

There have, over the years, as you can imagine, been several incidents where I've had a call from a newspaper reporter who's said things that have gobsmacked me. After you've got over the shock that someone seems to know more about you than, well...you, you sit down in surprise and try to work out "how on earth could they know that?" even if it wasn't entirely true.

One in particular was about a mortgage deal, and I hadn't even discussed it with my family or advisers or anyone. Absolutely no-one knew but the mortgage company and me. And when the deal came through, they left a message for me on my mobile.

Now I'm wondering - unless someone in the mortgage company decided to squeal to the press - phone hacking could well be an explanation. The reporter knew all of the facts - exact sums of money, everything.

I will be pursuing.